AN: Thanks to my betas.
Chapter Ten – For Her
"You know you are not what I expected," Aphrodite watched as the Last Son and her daughter moved through a basic Amazon fighting dance. "It's hard to imagine someone like Rao having a parent."
"We all come from somewhere," the man said with a smile. "Even Gods and Goddesses have to have a place where they being."
"Even you," Aphrodite said quizzically. It went against the flight image she cultivated to be so inquisitive, it just wasn't every day you met one of the Elder generation. "You're really nothing like Rao."
"What did you expect," the old man asked. He turned his head slightly so Aphrodite could see the amusement in his eyes. "And please don't be formal about it, I hate formality."
"I expected you to have a bigger stick up your ass than Rao has," Aphrodite deadpanned. The old man chuckled and turned back to his grandson and granddaughter.
"I am impressed you could say that," the elder god laughed even louder. It was the kind of laugh that reminded her of what humans called the grandfather. It was a laughter of warmth and joy and a feeling of closeness and protection. It was a strange feeling. "Rao has much to learn about his purpose in this world. I fear though he never will, and that the Universe will be diminished with his passing."
"All he seems to bring is death," Aphrodite said morosely. She watched as her daughter and the Last Son began the dance once again. "They are fond of each other."
"They should be," the elder god smiled. "They were made for one another afterall."
Aphrodite still didn't understand the concept that the elder god had told her of when he first revealed himself. She still had no idea who he truly was, or why someone as powerful as Rao would be so afraid of him. Their discussions so far had covered everything from the nature of the universe to love. The idea that love could be made was so unusual to her, she knew that it could be earned that it could be lost and change over time, but love made from the start was not something that she understood. All her beliefs had told her that the soul was not something that could truly be understood in some grand plan.
"Don't try and grasp it all," the elder god said softly. "The idea of made love isn't for you, child. I wanted people to believe that love was greater than something that could be made."
"Why," Aphrodite choked out.
"Because when you believe love is greater than it is, you believe it can be eternal, you believe that there can be hope," the elder smiled slightly as he looked at the young girl. "You believe that choices have power and that you can grow and change. When you sit where I do it looks a lot less special, and it is not something I want taken from people. I want them to dream."
"Will this end well," she asked, letting go of her thoughts about love and turning back to her children. "He has so much arrayed against him, and now Rao will not take your interference lightly."
"I know," the elder god smiled. He looked her in the eyes, and they flashed an ice blue just like Clark's. "I know my son, and I know his dreams, he can't succeed against what the boy will bring against him."
"How can you be sure," Aphrodite rarely saw doubt, but she had seen the rampages of the Kryptonians and knew that they had made the battle with the Titans look tame by comparison.
"Because your granddaughter won't let him fail," he said with a smile before fading.
Aphrodite stared at where the old man had been, wondering how he had known.
"Karkinos is dead," Lyssa said, kneeling before Ares. "I saw to it myself."
"You should never trust a crab to do your job," Ares said, somewhat amused. "I find it funny that even with the madness that the boy experienced, he still fought us. Some would think that your skill is slipping, Lyssa."
"I have no excuses, my Lord," she gritted out. She didn't have the power to challenge Ares for his throne yet, so she had to be very careful to try and stay in his good graces.
"Eris paid for her sin," Ares looked her in the eye. "If my lover pays for her sins, what makes you think I won't destroy one of my generals!"
Thunder boomed all around them. The room became dark, and a cascade of lightning formed around her. "Know this, Lyssa, fail me one more time, and your life is forfeit!"
"I will not fail, Lord Ares," she kept her eyes low.
"You won't," Ares agreed. A snap of his fingers and the prison of lightning that surrounded her disappeared. "Remember that."
Another snap, and lighting ripped from the ground. She screamed as the power ripped through her.
Ares smiled, it was always so fun to cause another god pain.
Three days had passed, Kal/Clark was healed, his room was back to the way it was before, and Diana seemed to find it amusing every time he crashed into the ground. After the initial night flying had become a labor. He could hover about twenty feet from the ground easily, but movement came slowly, and usually painfully.
He guessed that the confidence that Lak brought just wasn't there. His powers weren't solely based around genetics, but belief as well. Fear, doubt, hesitation, each of them held his powers slightly in check. Each and every doubt made him just a bit less than he was before. That could be the difference between life and death for himself or those that he loved.
It was still mind-blowing to think that he would live as long as the stars would. As long as it was a yellow star the ravages of age would never reach him. What would he do a thousand years from now, when all he knew and loved had died? How would people react as they grew old and he never aged?
"You know, maybe after this we should try flying once more," Diana smirked a bit. It was nice to see something akin to a human amid a body with powers that could only be considered otherworldly. She had thought long and hard about what he had told her, about the immortality that came from the light of their sun, at least for as long as it remained yellow. It had been a nightmare to her. She thought that she would be alone, when the time came, because even her sisters and mother aged, though very slowly. To know that someone would be there through the ages…it filled her with a joy she had not known she could feel. If she admitted it or not, the idea of being alone scared her more she could admit.
"You just like seeing me falling on my ass," he stuck his tongue out at her. He felt so free lately, it was hard to remember a time when he had.
"I didn't know you could swear," she quirked an eyebrow. "It doesn't fit with the farm boy."
"It fits with the Kryptonian though," he smiled slightly. "We had many creative curses in our language. My birth father commented once that the a curse was the only way to define civilizations, because we had nothing else that truly made us unique."
Diana laughed slightly. "I think you will find that is a common trait amongst all peoples, at least from the languages I have been able to study. Now, you're not getting out of it, it is time to fly!"
Diana felt the wind wrap around her and her feet leave the ground. Clark followed her slowly into the air.
"Come on Clark," she taunted. "I know that you can do better than that!"
Clark gritted his teeth and tried to follow her as they rose through the clouds. This had been so much easier the other day.
"You know you suck, right," he spun around quickly and saw Lak standing there. His eyes full of mirth, he had changed so much the last few days. "You're still so afraid, and I don't understand why."
"I am not afraid," Clark snapped, startling Diana. "How are you free?"
"Yes, you are," Lak shrugged. "You're still holding back. Our powers are a combination of superior genes and a mental discipline that forced us to use those genes. From the beginning our people lived an unnatural length of time. Through training they developed their powers further, forced their bodies to evolve to match what their minds saw. You still don't believe that you can do these things. You still believe that this is all some sort of mistake. That's how I can move freely, your will still isn't into this at all."
Diana floated back to Clark. "What's going on Clark?"
"How do I change this?" he asked the air.
"Let go," Lak shrugged. "The idea is that you stop holding back you stupid farm boy, and the only time I have seen you do it is when you are with this girl. You rarely hold back with her!"
Lak floated before him so that they were face to face. "Stop holding back, let go and let yourself feel. Feel her, feel the world, embrace it all! The more you hold back, the weaker you become, the weaker we become."
Clark closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the moment that he had first seen her. He had been fighting and only turned to see her staring at him. He remembered that emotion, and let it fill him.
"Fearlessness is the key to everything," Lak smiled slightly. "It's what our people never understood, that passion was the true key to our powers."
Diana was suddenly forced back as Clark bolted into the sky. Lak smiled and faded from view as the girl straightened and flew after him.
"So he is learning," the old man smiled. "I am so glad."
"What are you hoping for?" Aphrodite asked, watching as Clark bolted into the sky faster than even Apollo.
"Kryptonians have always been held back," the old man shrugged. "Because of my son's foolishness we have never seen what one is truly capable of."
Aphrodite's jaw dropped slightly at that. The Kryptonians had found a way to kill a god, they were capable of more than that?"
The old man smiled. "Don't be so scared Aphrodite, even with all your sins I doubt you will ever be on his bad side."
Aphrodite's jaw set at that, and her eyes narrowed. He knew! How the hell had he known?
"You still don't know who I am do you," the old man asked darkly.
"You're Rao's father," she said with uncertainty.
"I am far more than just his father," he smiled. "I am the beginning. I am the one who saw it all begin, ever since I have waited and watched for a time when I would be able to leave it to my children."
"You don't mean…" Aphrodite began to babble.
"The name your people gave me, was Chaos," the elder god smiled. "Though others have taken to calling me The Source these days, though I prefer the name Kal."
He winked at her and Aphrodite wad dumb founded. She was standing next to the beginning, how was that possible?
"Remember try not to grasp at it," he said looking back towards Diana who had managed to just reach Clark only for him to shoot off even higher than before. The angry woman gave a huff and followed him into the sky. "It's better not to think about where things like everything begin, because in the end it only drives you to madness. Though sometimes I have to say, even the universe surprises me."
Lyssa stared at the farmhouse with undisguised fury. Her soldiers had never failed her before, but now Karkinos was dead, and the Kryptonian had managed to recover some relic from Devil's Tower that was supposed to be important. Ares wasn't willing to risk a direct fight with the Kryptonian to try and discover what it did, besides their weapons only worked for their blood anyways. They had found ways to disguise it even from Gods.
"You think you can corrupt him, where your pet failed," Rao asked, appearing next to her.
"I have no intention of corrupting him," Lyssa growled.
"That wasn't your mission from Ares," Rao sounded so disappointed. Not that she cared. "He will be so cross with you for this."
"I will deal with it," Lyssa snarled. "Why don't you go bother someone else?"
"You know, you help me create my masterpiece, with each move you make," Rao said with a slight smile. "Every move, every action, you work towards my goals in the long run."
"Your goals are meaningless," she snapped. "Your son will be dead, by Ares's granddaughter's hand."
"Ah, so he wasn't able to hide that," Rao smiled. Now it was beginning to get interesting.
"Not from everyone," Lyssa said. An idea occurred to her. "Were you the one who demanded that Hercules never be able to have children again?"
"Yes," Rao said firmly. He had a good poker face, Lyssa had seen the same before from Ares and Zeus.
"Why?"
"My masterpiece, of course," Rao smiled. He faded from view, leaving a confused Lyssa. What masterpiece was he talking about? What did he think he was doing here, painting? It was the same for all the higher gods, a game in the long run who can make the most impressive remembrance.
Diana found him nearly above the cloud line. It was insane. One moment he was having trouble and the next he's almost reaching the stars. He was holding his hands out to the side, his eyes closed and his head down.
"Clark," she said suddenly concerned.
His eyes opened slowly and he smiled. "I am beginning to get it."
"What," she asked, concerned by his odd behavior.
"It's all about belief," he said softly. He was almost laughing as he swung around in a circle. "It's incredible! I can't believe I haven't seen it before now."
"You know you're not making any sense, right?" she deadpanned. "What are you talking about?"
"It's not just about having the power," Clark said softly. "Originally my people were just long-lived, but they used their mental disciplines to adapt and enforce evolutions. We gained the ability to fly, the ability to fire infrared beams from our eyes, even a lung capacity that could force carbon dioxide towards absolute zero. But in the end, it was all because we believed we could do it."
Diana nodded, finally understanding. "What changed?"
He floated next to her, their faces inches apart. The smile and joy he felt, it was overwhelming. She could feel his breath against her skin, and his eyes bore into her. "You changed everything."
He suddenly laughed and launched into the air. She watched as he stood at the apex of his launch. "How about a game of tag?"
"You think you can keep up with me," she challenged, shaking away lingering thoughts from moments before.
Clark smiled as he floated back down to her level. "The question is, Princess, can you keep up with me?"
His entire body seemed to blur, and she felt him appear nearly a hundred yards behind her. He looked back. "You're it."
She growled slightly and pushed forward with the wind. It was good to see this, though, she had been afraid that he would never find the confidence to soar with her.
One moment he was laughing ahead of her and the next he felt something slam into his midsection. He tumbled for a bit, losing control for only a moment before he righted them. Clark felt his arms wrap around her instinctively and he did the same, tightening his hold.
"Hey," he said, looking down at her. "I didn't mean to make you that mad."
"You didn't," she said with a smile. "Can I trust you?"
He nodded. "Always."
She closed her eyes for a moment, letting go of the wind that she had held on to to stay aloft with him. "Fly us."
His eyes widened for a moment. "You're serious."
Diana just smiled, closing her eyes and letting her arms go slack. "I am in your arms, I am not going to call on the wind. Fly, no fear, no hesitation, just fly, both of us, and show me the world you want to see."
Clark thought for a moment, remembering Lak's little visit before. He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter and floated there for a moment. She felt so weightless to him, even though he knew she was strong it was hard to believe such a tiny woman could be as strong as he was.
"Show me your sky, Kal," she said, opening her eyes and staring into his own.
Without a second shot forward through the sky towards the sun that seemed so close now.
"I am impressed," the old man said with a smile as Rao appeared before him. "You put your daughter to work against me, and think that even Amaterasu's power is enough to challenge me?"
"You shouldn't interfere in this," Rao roared.
"You forget your place," his father snapped. A bolt of power flew from the old man striking Rao, driving him to his knees. "I am benevolent to a point boy, but do not try my patience, even I have my limits."
"You're making a mess of things, as always!"
"You think this is a mess," his father raised an eyebrow. "I see something glorious here, but you were always too short sighted to look at the bigger picture."
"All I see is chaos," Rao gritted his teeth, the pain seemed to increase with each moment. How could the old man's power be so controlled?
"All you see is your version of chaos, to another it is a symphony," the old man smiled and turned back to the home of the Kent's as Clark and Diana landed. Both of them were laughing and had bright smiles on their faces.
"You want him to be, happy," Rao said in disgust.
"You want your prince, the cold scientist warrior who rules through logic," his father shook his head. "That path leads to an abomination of death. Did you forget your mission?"
Rao lowered his head. "I remember."
"You have failed at your mission, and yet I still let you live," his father snapped. "Who are you to judge your children unfit? You created them and stepped away, you have no right to come back and say you don't like what you see."
"They went against my vision," Rao growled, but the pain forced him back to his knees.
"One man, and one woman, who had enough sense to see what your vision had done to their people," the old man growled. "You sentenced what remained of your children for their "crimes." To me what they did was the right course, but even I did not stay your hand. I hoped you would grow up after that, but I can see that this is not the case."
The old man stood and the pain faded. "Bring your games, your son is now under my domain, and for that your tests will serve to temper the metal. He is stronger than you can ever hope to be."
"You'll pay for this, old man," Rao roared.
"We'll see, now be gone," he snapped. Rao was forced from view, obviously struggling to stay. The old man cocked his head to the side and stared at the golden haired daughter of his son. "Will you seek to oppose me as well."
"I?" Amaterasu shook her head.
"Remain in your domain, Rao is now banned from it," he growled. "If you help him, you will bring my wrath down on your protected."
Amaterasu bowed before she faded from view.
The old man looked back to the Kent farm and saw her approaching slowly. "And so it begins again, prepare my grandson. I will do my best to help you through the trials yet to come."
She turned back to the house and strode forward with purpose. The boy would suffer for this insult. Now that he had returned he would suffer for the loss of her standing with Lord Ares.
The boy had come back with the Amazon bitch and he was actually flying! The Kryptonian powers were almost completely mature, and soon his life would be tied with the stars themselves.
"Prepare to pay, Kryptonian," she whispered as she faded from view.
Clark was throwing bales of hay to the next level in the barn when the world began to swim. He stopped for a moment and braced himself against a support beam. His heart was racing, his breathing was short and ragged. Was this a panic attack?
He looked around, his mom and dad were gone for the day. The hum of the katana rang in his ears.
"So she's decided to play," Lak growled appearing next to him.
"We knew this was coming," Clark stood slowly.
"I am sure you two didn't expect me," a voice called out from behind them. Both of them spun around to see him standing there. He was dressed in Kryptonian battle robes, holding a long pole arm in one hand with a curved blade of black metal at the end.
"Rao," both Clark and Lak growled out.
"Did you really think I would let my greatest creations go, without a leash," Rao snapped. "Even if this is your mind, you fools have no power that can match my own."
"So it's just like before," Lak snapped. "Our dad stepped out of line once, and you sentenced a whole race to death, and because we're not growing up the way you want."
"You must die," Rao, settled into a fighting stance, with the tip of the blade pointed towards them. "Only then will my masterpiece be complete."
Lyssa could feel him retreat, the moment he did, she applied more power. It wasn't supposed to be this easy, but she was not going to turn away a gift. Controlling his body was far harder than she had ever imagined. Already she had ripped apart a door, and completely crushed a farm tool. Is this what the boy went through every day? How he didn't destroy everything around him she would never understand.
"Clark," a female voice called out.
"Yes," Lyssa replied.
"Are you okay," the Amazon bitch came up. "I have been calling you for a few minutes."
"I am fine," she shook his head. "What's the matter?"
"I was wondering if you were alright, I thought I felt Lyssa for a moment," the bitch said looking her in the eye.
"Nope, nothing wrong here," she said, trying to play the part.
Diana quirked an eyebrow at her. "Lyssa, Goddess of Rage and one of Ares Generals, she has the same mind tricks that Karkinos tried to use on you. Are you sure you didn't feel anything?" Diana asked with a hint of distaste coloring her voice.
"You sound like you don't respect her," she ground out, trying to sound as even as possible. She would teach them all one day to bow before her alter.
"No, not really," the dark haired woman admitted. She was worried though. Clark rarely danced around her questions like this. Why did he have such a sudden interest in her opinion of Lyssa?
Lyssa fought the urge to strangle her as the Amazon bitch continued.
"She never confronts directly, she always lurks in the shadows. She is really not as strong as she tends to think," Diana said looking her in her body's eyes.
"I see," Lyssa said darkly. "So do you think she is coming after us somehow?"
"More than likely," the woman shrugged. "She is not likely to let the insult you dealt Karkinos go easily."
"No, it's never that easy," she said darkly. Suddenly she spun around, backhanding Diana towards the house. As she flew through the hair, Lyssa laughed. Oh gods the power was amazing.
"Clark," Diana yelled, standing up. She was right, Lyssa was here, and in control. "Give him back."
"Not really," she shrugged. She blazed forward, and slammed into the bitch's abdomen. Diana tumbled end over end and slammed into the field. She blinked and Clark's body was over her. "I will show you not that impressive!"
"Lyssa," she hissed. She summoned her shackles. Before she could really get her hold in Diana brought her arms up and slammed the hardened metal into his temples. She staggered, dropping Diana to the ground.
"This is getting really old," Diana growled. She suddenly tackled his body, slamming her elbow into his sternum as she drove him down. "I don't see why Ares has such pathetic Generals!"
"You'll pay for that, bitch!" Lyssa roared. Clark's strength was insane. She grabbed her by the shoulders and flung her farther into the fields. "I will break you."
Diana stood, her eyes narrowed. "I'll get him back, and then we will see just who breaks."
"You two stand no chance," Rao roared, slamming his staff into the ground. It cracked underneath them, the white that they were used to being replaced by black veins. They had made the mistake of standing on one veins early in the fight and it had nearly ripped them in two. Whatever it was, it was slowly killing the area around them.
"Tell us that after you win," Lak growled. He had a huge gash in his side from where the bastard had managed to catch him with the tip of the blade. "You doing okay over there, Clarkie-boy?"
Clark groaned, forcing himself from the ground. His right eye had swollen shut from a fist to the face. "How come only the corruption is his only working power? Rao should be stronger than this! He has destroyed worlds before with a wave of his hand."
Lak nodded, understanding. "He can't use anything else. Our mind is blocking the majority of his powers."
Rao growled charging Lak. He punched him in the ribs, and a snap echoed through the mind scape. "My form is enough to kill you two insects."
"Keep telling yourself that, Rao," Clark growled appearing behind him. He wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted, bending his back. He slammed him shoulder first into a vein of black that had appeared underneath them.
"You wouldn't be so worried, if we were only insects," Lak mocked, standing again. The pole arm had rolled free. He picked it up, and slammed it over his knee. "We're not fitting in with the program, and you're angry about it."
"You fools will pay for this," Rao snapped. He stood up, and unleashed as much of his power as he could. Neither of them moved. "Damn it, what is going on?"
"Round two," Lak smiled darkly. He rushed forward, slamming his fist into the god's gut. He flipped over Rao who followed him, only to be hit from behind by a speeding Clark. Clark kicked him in his upper thigh, and then, as Rao tried to respond, Clark blurred. Lak was behind him and punched him at the base of the neck, snapping his head back. The god was suddenly face first in one of the remaining black streaks. Clark lifted him again and threw him towards Lak, who leapt into the air, twisted around and landed the back of his heel into the side of Rao's head. As he fell down he dragged row with him, slamming him again face first into the ground.
"This is my world, as you pointed out before," Clark growled. "This is my mind, and I have absolute domain here. You thought I would be intimidated because you are a god?"
"You forgot one thing though," Lak smiled a tight wolfish smile, throwing the god into the distance.
"You're not my god!" Both Clark and Lak surged forward towards the downed Rao.
Diana stared impassively as Clark rose from the field. Her eyes locked with his. Lyssa had him in her grasp, and all that he saw was what she wanted him to see. His fighting style had been haphazard until now, but that was no guarantee. She had seen moments when he looked like a warrior. What game were the gods playing now?
Reaching up, she tied her long black hair into a tight bun, no sense in giving him something to use against her. Though she may be strong, she had never fought with someone who completely equaled her in strength before.
Lyssa was a vengeful as Ares when it came to insults to what they perceived to be their honor. Because she had insulted her standing in the world, Lyssa was out for blood.
"Clark, fight this," she breathed, as the man charged her. A wild swing, she grabbed his arm, twisted and brought him around, over her hip, hard. She wrenched his arm, torqueing it to the maximum without breaking it before slamming into the ground as fast as momentum and her strength would allow. She hopped back as a storm of wind picked up around him.
Lyssa slammed her fist hard into the ground, cracking it underneath her. She pushed up hard, flipping into the air above her. Lyssa slammed her fist into the bitches ribs and she heard her grunt in pain. As she fell back Diana forced her feet into the ground. With earth breaking up behind her she pushed forward and round housed Clark's body in the ribs. She heard a gush of wind from his throat as she sent as much force into him as he could, and then felt nothing. Diana turned in time to catch a fist coming towards her face. Diana growled as she fell back, wanting to help him, and not hurting him were a lot harder than she expected.
"Fight this, Clark," Diana screamed, slamming her hand into the ground. The ground around him ripped up and he lost his footing. He fell, only to stop in mid-air. He twisted around and charged at her, slamming into her mid-section as they flew deeper into the fields.
Diana was plowed into the earth, as it tore up around them. Clark's body still had not let her go. Diana gritted her teeth and brought her hands down to either side of his head. With a thunderous clap he let go of her and staggered back.
"You want to fight me, Lyssa?" She crouched down, gathering her strength once more. "You want to fight the real me? Then I will show you what I am capable of! You're going to earn any victory against me!"
Diana leapt up at her, aiming a roundhouse kick to the side of his head. He flew through the empty field, tearing into the ground and he bounced twice.
Aphrodite was amazed. Her daughter was battling with a possessed Kryptonian.
The old man was standing next to her again. His eyes narrowed slightly, so that was his son's game.
"Keep watch over them, make sure no one else interferes," he said darkly.
"What's the matter," Aphrodite asked, looking at confused .
"My son is not playing very fairly," the old man laughed. "I think I should have given him more spankings growing up."
Aphrodite laughed, picturing a baby Rao getting a spanking from a younger version of his father. "He does seem like he never learned to play well with others growing up."
The old man laughed as he faded from view.
Rao watched as Clark rose slowly, followed by Lak. Somehow his powers had become broken, there was no longer a way for him to pull himself from their mind.
"You think you can win here," Rao sneered. "Flawed creations always believe they are greater than they are."
"I am sure whoever created you feels the same way," Lak growled, once again settling into a fighting stance. "Else you wouldn't have such a giant stick shoved up your ass."
"How dare you!" Rao sputtered. His features began to darken and cracks appeared in his skin. "I will flay you for all eternity for that."
"Keep dreaming," Clark charged, landing a solid hit to his jaw. "Keep thinking that we will bow to you, maybe it will come true!"
Rao caught his follow up hook, and twisted his arm. He pulled hard, brining Clark's face into contact with his knee. Meanwhile, Lak spun through the air, catching him with a kick to the head. Rao let go of Clark, falling towards the mental ground, only for Clark to grab him and slam into the mental landscape. Rao gasped in pain. How were his powers working here, it should be possible while his own were not? The little bastard should be dead by now.
"That little Amazon bitch will cry when you die, but it will be worth it in the end," Rao sneered, he stood with an ache shuddering through his body. Unlike fighting in the real world, when you fought in a mental landscape the pain was real, no matter if you were a mortal or an immortal. "I cannot allow a flawed creation to continue to exist."
Rao appeared before Clark, grabbed him by the throat and lifted him in the air. He suddenly fell towards the mental landscape. Clark gasped in pain as his body was driven hard into the ground.
Clark gasped for air, Rao's strength was incredible. Even without the godly powers he knew he had, Rao was a formidable enemy.
"Perhaps I will interfere in her destiny," Rao taunted, looking from Lak to him. "I know a dark god who would love the chance to break her."
"Your mistake," Clark growled. He launched from his crouched stance pounding his fist in a hammer motion into Rao's shoulder. "You shouldn't have threatened her."
"For her, I will always fight to the end!" Clark grabbed the broken arm, and swung him in a wide arch and then began to spin hard. The world blurred and then he launched Rao into the distance.
"For her, you will pay," Clark stalked towards him. "For her, I will never retreat."
"You can't stop me, boy," Rao sneered, standing slowly.
"You never learn do you," a voice called out. All three combatants spun to see an old man standing there, his eyes narrowed. "You just had to interfere now that I brought your son into my domain."
"You have no right to interfere," Rao raged.
"I have every right, Rao," the man said calmly. He looked at the Kryptonians and smiled. "I am glad to see you two working together, it's most impressive what you can do."
"We're good like that," Lak jerked his thumb back to Clark. "Though, Clarkie-boy here has a long way to go."
The old man chuckled as Clark scowled. "Still, it's impressive. You even managed to lock down Rao's powers in your mind. It's most impressive."
"They're actually doing this," Rao roared, incensed at the thought of a lesser being having the strength to contain his powers.
The old man looked at him. "You invaded their domain, you made to kill them, for what? To replace him yourself? Your plans are growing more erratic, all in the dream of a masterpiece that means nothing in the long run."
"Shut up," Rao raged.
"It's time you heard the truth," the old man snapped. "You are flawed, you can make mistakes, and you should have let your children make their own choices. Amaterasu is a goddess because you forced her to accept the role, and now you seek to end the children you championed for so long."
"They all failed me," he roared.
The old man sneered. "And you failed them." He then stepped towards Clark and Lak. "You two are most impressive. I am surprised you have come so far."
"What are you doing, old man?" Rao felt himself being forced to fade.
"Giving them a bit of a piece of mind," the old man smiled. "You're banned from their domain from this point forward. I can't stop your games, but he can have a bit of peace."
"Damn you," Rao roared as he faded rom view.
Clark blinked, amazed at how easily the old man had dispatched Rao.
"Don't be so surprised," the old man smiled at him. "You did most of the work. Most mortals would never be able to cancel a God's power in their minds. Most people don't have the will."
"Like I said, Clarkie-boy is getting better, got a way to go yet, but he will get there," Lak said, appearing next to him. "You're the Source aren't you."
The old man nodded. "Most impressive, most people don't remember I exist these days."
"We thought about killing you at one point, because you let Rao come into being," Lak said darkly.
"But then your people realized that it would make you no better than him," the old man smiled. He turned to Clark. "Force your will back to the forefront, it will eject Lyssa from your mind and give you back control."
Clark nodded, and closed his eyes. The old man watched as he faded away and then looked at Lak. "Who are you?"
"What do you mean," Lak raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You're not exactly his darkness, you're not the real Lak," the old man said with a smile. "So who are you?"
Lak's eyes narrowed as the world around him began to blur. He appeared before him and stared at the Old Man.
"It's good to see you again, Jor-El." The old man smiled.
Diana wanted to scream, what the hell did it take to bring him down? She didn't want to start bringing out killing moves against him! The chain wrapped around her torso loosened, she held it up in the air twirling it overhead. The hum of the chain cutting the air the only thing in her mind, as she rushed forward, and launched towards him.
It wrapped tightly around his right arm. The magic of the chain tried to compel the truth and break her hold, but the magic of it was simply to weak. Clark's form yanked Diana forward, flying through the air to meet an outstretched arm. Diana placed both hands forward, using his arm as a flip, came up behind him. With a grunt, she brought her left leg up, pivoted her right, and slammed the heel of her boot into Clark's ribs. Diana heard Lyssa give off a his of pain and knew how to finally break the possession that bitch had on him.
Part of the problem with Lyssa's possession was it required her to be in complete control of the nervous system. It was the only way to get the body that you take over to do anything else, a slip up and the possession would be broken.
His form staggered. Lyssa was mad now. She was downright murderous. This was getting to be more trouble than it was worth. She dropped to the ground, twisted again and kicked his legs out from under him. She appeared on top of him, slamming her fist into his sternum, he dropped to the ground and sank several feet in. She felt him wrap his hands around her arm, tried to pull back only to be pulled to him.
"Now you die," he roared, his eyes turning red.
She slammed her head into his, causing him to stagger. His eyes lost their red tint as the heat died down around them.
"Not so easy, Lyssa," she whispered, standing up. He did the same.
They charged each other once more.
"Hello daughter," a cold voice said.
Hippolyta snapped up and stared at her "father." "You can't be here!"
"Is that any way to greet your father," Ares held his arms up. "I love what you have done to the place."
She unconsciously felt a twinge of pain in her abdomen. She remembered being stabbed there, she remembered his words as her life drained from her. "What do you want?"
"Can't I just stop by for a chat?"
Hippolyta's eyes narrowed. "The last time you tried a chat, the Crusades started. What do you want?"
"Just a word of advice," Ares began. "Get Diana away from Rao's child. There will be hell to pay if you don't."
Hippolyta growled out. "Don't think to make any more demands of me, "father". I know what loyalty to you gets me into."
"You will do as you're ordered, you stupid girl," he snapped. "It's because of this foolishness that you died…too much like that bitch of a mother…"
"Ares, leave now," another voice called out. Stepping from the shadows, Artemis, who looked a lot like her Amazonian namesake, appeared with her arrow drawn and pointed at the God of War. Hippolyta looked absolutely stunned, as if remembering something. "This is your only warning."
"You don't have the guts, sister," Ares sneered.
"Try me," Artemis said in the coldest voice she could manage.
"You know what is coming, the child of Rao is as much a threat as Hecate was," he snapped.
"It's not for you to decide, brother," Artemis spat the word as if it was the worst thing imaginable.
"You should know, the Bana will be attacked, you can't stop it," Ares said looking at his sister.
"What are you doing," Artemis growled.
"What has to be done, unlike the rest of you fools," Ares disappeared in a flash of thunder.
Artemis let her bow drop and turned to Hippolyta. "Ready a force to help the Bana, they will need it if Ares is going to act against them."
"Most of our elites are out tracking, Diana," Hippolyta growled. "I can't send cadets against the God of War."
"Then hope that the Bana aren't wiped out," Artemis said fading from the room. Hippolyta tightened both hands into fists. She slammed them into the stone table, smashing it. Damn him.
Diana was tiring. She had never fought this long before, or this hard. It was like nothing her trainers or her mother had prepared her for. Clark's body seemed to be getting stronger as the fight went on. His speed was impressive, and this sudden adeptness at Martial Arts was confusing.
"Clark, please hear me," Diana said charging forward, the chain swinging wildly above her. Clark reared back to attack, but she ducked inside of his guard and got behind him. She wrapped her arms around him, bring the chain around them both. "Clark, don't let her win."
"Clark don't let her win."
Diana, he could hear her voice, he knew that she was fighting him. The fool that had control of him…he stopped. The world shifted, he was drawn into the realm of the white.
"He can't hear you," Lyssa sneered, it didn't look right on his face to Diana.
"Wanna bet," his lips moved immediately thereafter. The shock on his face that came after his voice spoke was the best thing she had seen since this started. Lyssa had never had anyone reject control in such a way before.
"How," Lyssa raged, her voice returning to her normal tenor.
"Because you don't have the will to dominate a Kryptonian!" Clark roared. Arcs of light bounced around his body.
Lyssa screamed, the feedback was to much. She fell from his body, and he slumped forward. Diana moved to catch him as Lyssa twitched on the ground.
Diana held on tight. He struggled, but it was dying. She could feel the presence that was in his mind fade. Had he done it? His struggles stopped and he sunk to his knees with her following, still holding on.
"You know, there is something about being in your arms that is very comforting," he said softly. His eyes were closed, but she could see the smile in his profile.
"Clark," she breathed.
She felt the warmth, the same warmth that she experienced in the beginning. It had disappeared while Lyssa had control during the fight, but it was back now, full force, and it was a glorious feeling.
"I didn't think you were into bondage though," he said with a shrug.
Diana blushed at that. Just the tone of his voice made her think it was a bad thing, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know what he was talking about. "Don't make me hurt you."
"You're only proving my point," he quipped. "Thank you."
"For trying to beat you senseless?"
He nodded. "It was probably the only way to get through with whatever happened to me."
"I will remember that, next time you decide you want to argue with me," Diana flicked her wrist and the chain was back wrapped around her arm. "You good now?"
"I will kill you," Lyssa raged, as she pushed her weakened body from the ground. "You will pay for this."
Clark stood slowly, his eyes blazing. "You think you're strong enough to truly defeat me? Your kind tried to help Rao kill us off over the last million years and nothing you ever could do could stop us. Only another Kryptonian was able to end the rampage of the Kryptonians."
Lyssa scowled. "You're barely a Kryptonian."
"Oh no, I am in my element now," he smirked. He then looked at Diana and made sure she was okay. It was impressive that she had been able to hold her own for so long. Though Lyssa didn't have the full access to his powers, a fraction of his strength would have destroyed a normal woman.
"You can't do anything, Kryptonian," she roared.
"He can't but I can," a dark voice said from behind her.
Lyssa spun around to see Aphrodite standing there, her blonde hair billowing around her from some unseen wind. She was angry, Lyssa had never seen her as angry, not even after she discovered what she had done with Ares at Hecate's command. "I have sat on the sides long enough!"
"Aphrodite," Lyssa trembled. There were only three people in the Pantheon that you never wanted to piss off, for all his bluster Ares was easy to deal with, as was Hades and Posiden. No the most fearsome of the gods other than Zeus were the two most unassuming. Hestia, the goddess of the Hearth was truly frightening when angered, and Aphrodite was enough, on her own, to bring the world to its knees should she will it.
"Ares seems to forget I am of the Titans, born directly from the king of the Sky," Aphrodite snapped. Arcs of energy wrapped around her slender arms, and her eyes blazed with an eerie blue-white light. "All of you seem to think because I am patron of love, my strength is nothing compared to yours."
The ground began to tremble, and Clark and Diana could only stare.
"Like Hestia, my strength can be taken for granted," Aphrodite whispered. Arcs of energy wrapped around her, lightning striking across her body, her clothing glowing with an unearthly power. Light bathed her as she held up her hand and pointed towards Lyssa. "Now let me show you just how powerful I truly am."
A ring of blue-white light formed around Lyssa's feet. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to move, only to be shocked back into place.
"Rise," Aphrodite whispered, her voice sounding like it came from within a deep well. Her eyes, the light that shined in them only grew in intensity, a white hot fire burning their gaze towards Lyssa. A column of blue white energy wrapped around the goddess of rage.
Lyssa panicked now, slamming her hands against the energy, an unexplainable echo sounding around them. Aphrodite looked at the Goddess of Rage with a dispassionate gaze.
"Pain." Aphrodite whispered.
Arcs of lightning began to strike from all around the cylinder. Lyssa screamed in pain as the Goddess of Love sent wave after wave of energy into her.
Aphrodite waved her arms inward from an outstretched position, as they came closer waves of energy began to shape into a single sphere. "I hate fighting, I abhor the pain of others," she whispered. "But my granddaughter deserves her happiness, and I will give it to her. Ares will not be allowed to cause her pain, not after what he did to my daughter!"
Lyssa, even in the pain, was stunned. Most of the Olympians thought she had forgotten about who Hippolyta was and what had happened to her.
"To my shame, I failed one of my children," Aphrodite admitted, tears in the corner of her sky blue eyes. "My penance will be protecting another with all my power."
"Burn," Aphrodite threw the sphere of energy that she had been gathering. It struck Lyssa in her chest, the goddess dropped to a knee as lightning bolts of blue-white energy arched across her body. She cried out as her body slowly began to fade.
"Damn you," Lyssa screamed, before she was consumed completely in blue-white light.
"Aphrodite," Diana bowed slightly.
"Rise child," Aphrodite smiled. "I am just glad you are well. When we created you we never thought you would have to battle a Kryptonian."
"She is remarkable like that," Clark smiled. "I have to admit I am impressed as well. Most people cannot handle a Kryptonian even at partial power."
Diana's cheeks tinted slightly under the praise. "My Goddess, what did you mean, Granddaughter?"
Aphrodite sighed. "I have a long, sad story to tell, do you two have the time to listen?"
Both of them nodded and the three retreated to the Kent home, under the watchful eye of the Source. He smiled as the family bonds between Aphrodite and her children would begin to form once more. He would worry about Rao later.
Prometheus stared at Bana-Mighdall. Wondering why he even bothered. His brother stood next to him, looking far to eager with the idea of attacking the Amazons.
"Do you understand what I want you to do?"
"How many do you want dead," Epimethus asked with a sadistic grin.
"Not enough to matter," Prometheus said, turning from his brother. "Remember your place brother, I doubt you would enjoy the trip back to the Pits should Lord Ares find you have disobeyed his orders once more."
Epimethus nodded and shifted. Where once the Titan of After-thought stood, now the visage of the Last Son remained. "I doubt I can do as much damage as he could, but you know that's not the point."
"No, it's not," Prometheus agreed. "Don't get caught brother, the last thing we need is the Amazons coming after us as well, while fighting the Last Son."
Clark nodded and headed towards Bana-Mighdall.
"Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a lot worse than even Lord Ares can predict?" Prometheus faded from view and headed back to ready his armies for war.